Fortnite Battle Royale shooting test now live

Epic Games continues to push out updates to Fortnite Battle Royale thick and fast, and what's going on right now in the game has pretty huge connotations for its future. There has been much said about the accuracy and consistency of damage when it comes to firing the various in-game weapons, and Epic is about to start making some changes to it.

Shooting Test #1 is now live in the game and any player can take part by accessing it in the same way they'd join any other game mode.

To attempt to address this concern, we've been prototyping a few different approaches to the shooting model. Those prototypes include:

First-Shot Accuracy

Perfect Accuracy + Recoil (Note: Some of you might've seen videos online - an early version was accidentally turned on a while back. Oops!)

The first prototype we're ready to test is First-Shot Accuracy, and in many ways, this version is very similar to our current experience.

The currently in test changes include adding first-shot accuracy to all weapons, indicated by a red glow on the reticle on screen. It's applied when you're standing still, aiming or when your aim spread is at its maximum.

Additionally, headshot damage has been reduced quite a bit, with shotguns taking the biggest hit. Damage fall-off is being introduced to some weapons, and there are additional balance tweaks in play. The patch is now live and you'll be prompted to download an update before playing. Check out the full details over on the Epic Games blog.

Epic is also now teasing another new weapon to come following the recent addition of the minigun. It promises "silent hunting," which should spice things up a little.